Considering the fact that all ornamental plant species in this intimate beach community floated over the Great South Bay on a barge or ferry to settle into their new homes, Fire Island Pines features some stunning private gardens. One of my favorites sits at the corner of Ocean and Tarpon Walk. This floriferous garden is filled with a divine mixture of perennials which saturate the front of the house with a bouquet of living color all summer long.

Fire Island Garden at Ocean and Tarpon Walk

Velvety Gladiolas in deep magenta mixed with a top performing annual, Verbena bonariensis, was a successful and unusual combination I found in the garden this past weekend. Patches of Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage), Cotinus coggygria (Smokebush), Rudbeckia fulgida (Black-eyed Susan), Monarda didyma (Bee Balm) and Buddleia davidii (Butterfly Bush) grace this garden with a rainbow of hues.

A Bouquet of Living Color

Deer Fences are Necessary for Any Garden on Fire Island

Complete with a separate rose garden and deer fence to keep out hungry critters, this garden is a labor of love. It is well worth a trip to walk by this garden throughout the season to see what’s in bloom. The house and the owners are just as beautiful as this patch of land they curate.